


Love Least Expected

by AJP_37



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Kid Fic, M/M, Prompt Fic, Tattooed Liam, barber Liam, single dad theo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-01
Updated: 2018-10-01
Packaged: 2019-07-23 05:34:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16152656
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AJP_37/pseuds/AJP_37
Summary: Theo had always been drawn to little hipster barber shops, but he never really expected that he would find his happily ever after in one.





	Love Least Expected

**Author's Note:**

> Cheers for the prompt Cally, this was super fun. x

Little hipster barber shops had been a constant guilty pleasure in Theo’s life since the very first time he had first had a choice about who cut his hair. 

There was just something that drew him to the old timey decor and the old guys with styled moustaches that had drawn him in, much the horror of his mother. 

He remembered the lure that he had felt for years as a child in his home town, whenever his mom had dragged him passed the store in the main street and the satisfaction of finally being able to go inside. He remembered like it was yesterday the first time the old barber, Hank, had pulled out his straight razor, deeming the fuzz on his upper lip to finally be mature enough to come off. 

He’d learned a lot in that barber shop, the old men teaching him many of the things he missed from his father who was always working away in the city. 

It had become a key part in his self care routine, once a fortnight since he was 14 he would lie back in the reclining leather chair, focus on the sounds and smells around him and let old Hank at _Brother Wolf Barber and Shaving Parlour_ do his worst. 

Despite an absentee father and a mother committed to white wine and coach of Theo’s soccer team, Theo grew up happy and while times were good, Theo had gone through the motions. He’d attended college; met a nice girl who he’d married and bought a house and had welcomed a child. 

And it was good. 

Until it wasn’t. 

About six months after their son was born his wife had decided that the domestic life wasn’t for her and had packed up and moved back east to where her family lived. 

For a little while Theo was angry, leaving his son with a variety of friends while he shut himself up in their little house and stewed. 

He thought about revenge; about asking his lawyer sister to slap an injunction on the woman and tether her to California so she couldn’t escape. He thought for a moment, at the bottom of a bottle of whisky, about sending the baby to Connecticut and disappearing into the night. Finally the morning after, while lying on the cool tile he made his decision. 

Which is how he found himself back in his hometown, having taken over both off the spare rooms at his sister’s house for he and his son.

Tara had been quick about sending custody orders through the mail, securing sole custody with little mess or fuss. Running the only law office in their small town meant that she had some pull and before long, he had a part time job working at the Sheriff’s station working the front desk and running the file room. 

Soon life regained some normalcy and Theo found a pattern and every Saturday morning, Tara would babysit Remy, now a toddler, and he would go to Hank’s and have his hair cut and his face shaved like when he was a teenager.

Once again everything in Theo’s life was peaceful. 

Then came the Saturday when Tara had been called into a work emergency and lulled by the false sense of security provided by a sleeping child, Theo decided that he would keep his appointment. 

Hank had clucked over the sleeping Remy and lead him to his usual chair, pushing the stroller to the side so Theo could still see him. 

Then the barber did the most unsettling thing that Theo had ever seen in his life and settled down in the vacant chair next to Theo and picked up the paper and a coffee. 

Theo glanced around, wondering what the hell the old man was doing, when a young man, hotter than the literal sun, emerged from the barber shop’s backroom. 

The new man was probably the same height as Theo, if not a little stockier. With short hair and tattoos covering both his muscled arms and across his deliciously hairy chest. Theo flicked his eyes over the man, taking in his exposed skin from his ripped jeans and baggy tank top, wondering at what point the ground would swallow him up and he would wake from what was clearly a dream. 

“Liam.” Hank explained and Liam looked up and _winked_ at Theo, “Bought the shop from me and has me here to introduce him to the clientele.”

Outwardly, Theo sat ramrod straight in his chair as the guy, Liam, wandered over to the station, shaking out an cape to secure around Theo’s neck before picking up his scissors and razors from a mobile trolley and proceeding to clean them with a sterilised wipe before tucking them into the apron tied around his slim waist. 

Inwardly, Theo was composing an ode to Liam’s biceps and strong looking hands and the _damage_ that they could do to his body. He was practically salivating at the thought of being held in those tattooed arms while he nuzzled into the scruff that dusted the man’s jaw and neck. 

Instead of the ground opening beneath him or the suddenness of being jerked from a dream, something possibly worse hapened; his baby began to cry. 

Liam’s stunning blue eyes shot to the pram, clearly unnoticed before as Theo began to spew apologies and Hank moved to scoop up the baby. Bouncing him and talking in a low voice until the squawking quietened. 

Theo relaxed back into a chair the second time that Hank insisted that he had Remy and everything was fine.

“Yours?” Liam asked, pulling a repurposed Jack Daniels bottle full of water and a comb from the trolley and gesturing for Theo sit right back in his chair before he began wetting it down and combing through the top of his hair. 

“Yeah, I wouldn’t normally be here with him, but my sister had to work today.” Theo explained, distracted from his child, now happily grabbing at Hank’s perfectly twirled moustache. 

“It’s cool, I worked for a while in a kid’s barber shop.” Liam smiled, his whole face lighting up and making Theo’s insides turn to jelly. “It was done up all proper and we even had shaving lessons.” Theo chuckled, noticing the way that Liam looked in Remy’s direction with soft eyes as he loaded the brush with shaving cream.

As Liam concentrated on finding the rough shape he wanted, Theo fantasized about other scenarios where Liam might look at him with such consideration and singular focus. 

Both Theo and Remy had made a noise when Liam had started the clippers, Remy from the noise and Theo from Liam’s gentle touch on his neck, angling his head forward to get at his neck. 

Theo watched Liam in the mirror, mesmerised by the way the man moved, finishing with the clippers and pulling a small pair of scissors from his apron and spinning them around his fingers. 

“How long have you been doing this?” Theo asked, his brain picking apart and processing the different tattoos adorning Liam’s arms while a different part of his body was flooding him with the urge to map them out with his tongue while Liam told him all their stories. There was a ornate pair of scissors tattooed into the space between Liam’s thumb and index finger that was making Theo a bit crazy imagining what it would look like if Liam’s hand was wrapped around his throat in a very different situation.

“Ah, about 7 years now? I was a little rough when I was 16 and got kicked out of private school and someone gave me the choice of public school or a GED and an apprenticeship.” Liam smiled, giving the real scissors in his hand another spin as he ran his fingers through the length on the top of Theo’s head, checking the length. “Guess which one I took.” 

23, god the kid was only a year younger than Theo and seemed so carefree and unburdened by the world. 

Theo had gotten married the summer after his senior year of College and Remy had been born a year and a half later. Theo looked to where the one year old had escaped from Hank’s lap in order to discover the toy box behind the front counter.

“What about you man, other than being a hot dad fantasy?” Liam asked, picking up a large fluffy brush to clean off Theo’s neck and face from stray hair clippings. Theo shuddered, Liam had called _him_ hot!

“Hot, single dad.” Hank said helpfully, looking up from where he was helping Remy stack blocks. 

“Hot, single dad.” Liam corrected, giving Theo a once over in the mirror that made Theo grip the armrests of the seat under his cape. 

“Uh, I had a bit of a career change when I started the single father gig. I went from working for a HR firm to working in the office at the Sheriff’s station.”

“Can you liberate things from the evidence lockup? Because Stilinski confiscated so many cans of spray paint from me when I was a kid.” Liam chuckled, placing his comb in a sterilising solution and returning his scissors to his apron. “I wouldn’t mind getting them back.” 

Theo joined in on the laughter, trying to cover for his mind creating an image of liberating some different materials from the sheriff’s station. 

Theo was pretty sure he could easily get his hands on a pair of handcuffs.

“Well, maybe if we are going to start breaking out the knives, the young man and I will go get some ice cream.” Hank said, holding his arms open for Remy to run into. Theo made a motion to pull out his wallet, but was shunned down by the old barber. “No, No, you relax and me and Remy here will be fine.” 

Theo looked on, worried for a moment. He had known Hank since he was 12 and the ice cream shop was within eyeshot, just across the street. What he was concerned about was not the old man babysitting his child, but instead being left in solitude with Liam. 

The doorbell jingled as Hank and Remy left, the baby waving his little hand at his dad as he was carried across the street. 

Liam stood behind Theo, eyeing him critically, and clicking his tongue, his brain clearly plotting the best course of action. 

“How committed are you to the idea of getting a full shave today?” He asked, running his hand through the length of Theo’s hair again. “What if we mapped out this beard and see what happens.” Liam cocked his head to the side, his plan clearly coming together in his mind. 

At this point, Theo was pretty sure that if Liam suggested shaving a penis into his hair he would agree. 

“Do you think that would suit me?” Theo said, locking eyes with Liam in the mirror and earning a massive grin from the barber. 

“Are you kidding dude, like not to project my fantasies onto you or anything, but a beardy dude that looks like you do is pretty much 15 year old me’s wet dream.” Liam laughed and Theo felt even hotter under the collar. “So what do you think?”

“Sure man,” Theo nodded, trying to ignore the way his heart skipped when Liam beamed at him.

Liam pulled a straight razor from his apron, inspecting it before he motioned for Theo lo lie back so he could start on his neck.

“Hank’s only hanging around town for another couple weeks to help me with the renovations,” Liam said, using the tip of his finger to move Theo’s head where he needed began to map out the shape of Theo’s beard, finding his adams apple and working down in short quick movements with the razor to clean it up. “And then then he’s skipping town and it’s just going to be me. I’ve never been the boss of any thing before.” he said quietly, 

“I’m sure it will be fine.” Theo said, watching the young barber in the mirror, fixing his gaze on the tattoo of a geometric wolf head on his bicep. “What have you got planned?” 

Liam lit up, smiling down at Theo as he tipped his head back further, cleaning the skin with a warm towel before continuing to work on any bits he had missed.

“We’re mostly pulling everything out to give it a real proper clean.” Liam explained, tipping Theo’s head gently to the side to clean up around the hinge of his jaw. 

While Liam methodically shaped Theo’s stubble into something worthy of a GQ cover, he chatted on about his plans for the store. He was animated as he chatted on about the colour of the paint and the new finish for the wooden floors and the front counter made from reclaimed wood and pressed tin he had been building with his friends. All the while Theo thanked the gods and all that was good in the world for the coverage that the cape gave him that allowed him to hide the boner that was currently fighting against the fly of his jeans. 

Liam stuck his tongue out of the side of his mouth as he pulled out a tiny pair of scissors to work on Theo’s moustache, the closeness and the attention had Theo sure that if he had to stand at this very moment, there was no way his legs would be able to hold him.

He was definitely, indisputably in trouble. 

Liam was definitely not his usual type. Before his ex wife, who was the dictionary definition of a wasp from Connecticut, there was a string of boys and girls, all preppy and polished from good schools and backgrounds and so so boring.

And then here was Liam, in his ripped jeans and Timberlands, a loose singlet showing off his hairy chest and arms covered in tattoos. His own beard was sculpted in the most effortless way and his hair was clipped short. His whole look and attitude read as a relaxed cool that Theo knew he would be able to reach. 

Closing his eyes, Theo imagined what his sister would say, or if she would burst out laughing when she opened the door to Liam and his own brand of casual charm. 

Maybe if he told Tara that Liam was a business owner, she wouldn’t laugh quite as hard. 

Theo opened his eyes when Liam used a warm towel to clean his face, the barber once again standing behind him to use the mirror to check his work. 

The door jingling and Remy squarking broke the trance Liam had him in and killed any remnants of Theo’s boner. 

“Looks good if I do say so myself.” Liam winked, taking the cape from Theo’s neck and placing it in a wire basket. 

Theo stood, his legs only a little shaky as he reached for his wallet while Hank loaded Remy into the stroller. 

“No no,” Liam said, when Theo moved towards the register, looking up and waving his hand from where he was filling out the client card at the counter. “Today was on the house- first time with a new barber and all that.” 

“Liam.” Theo said, only to get another wave from Liam before the barber looked up with a cheeky smile that nearly had Theo melting into the floor. 

“Just promise me you’re gonna come back.” 

***

Theo wasn’t sure what made him stop in at Liam’s shop a couple weeks later. It wasn’t a Saturday morning and since Liam had talked him into growing out his beard, he could stretch his appointments out further. This was also made possible because a few days after Theo’s last haircut, Liam had closed the store for the renovations.

Theo had changed the route he took to Remy’s day care, and to work, and to the gym. 

Theo cataloged the slight differences each day in the shop, but despite slowing down each time he drove past, he had stopped himself from pulling in to see what Liam was up to. 

But this day, it might have had something to do with the fact that Liam was installing a sign out the front. 

And he was shirtless. 

Theo had just picked up Remy from daycare and they were on their way to the park to enjoy the beautiful warm day. Theo himself was dressed in shorts and a polo shirt and following a rule someone had once told him, had dressed his toddler similarly. 

He was driving down Main Street when he saw Liam, glistening shoulders rippling as he pointed and yelled to the signwriters on the roof, clearly attacking his store refurbishment with the same attention he gave haircuts. 

Like it was meant to be, a car pulled out of a park opposite the barber shop and before he had realised, Theo was pulling in. 

Remy chatted happily as he was pulled out of his carseat and settled against Theo’s hip, always happy to be free from his restraints. 

“Liam!” Theo called, stepping on the sidewalk as his blood pounded loud in his ears, panicking that Liam wouldn’t want to see him, that maybe he was imagining any reciprocation of attraction. “We were just passing and thought we’d call in!”

Clearly his moment of panic was unnecessary as the moment he got Liam’s attention, the result was breathtaking. The barber looked up when he heard his name, his face splitting in a dazzling grin when he realised who had called him. 

“Theo!” Liam breathed, holding out his hand for a hearty handshake. Liam gave the thumbs up to the signwriters on the roof and much to Theo’s dismay, grabbed a paint speckled t shirt from a trestle table and pulled it on. “Time for a coffee?” 

“Always.” Theo said, adjusting Remy, “Just let me get the baby bag.” 

Much to Theo’s surprise, Liam reached for the baby, taking him and effortlessly settling him against his chest.

“What do you say little man, want a babychino?” 

Had he only experienced Liam that once time having his hair cut? The way that the man was so easily holding his child was making him feel a kaleidoscope of emotions. He expected that at any moment he would wake up, because this was all too perfect to possibly be true. 

Theo crossed the street, quickly grabbing the baby bag from the car before rejoining Liam and Remy. Walking towards them, Theo’s heart beat was quickly rising again at the sight of Remy, at ease and clearly mesmerised at the tattoos on Liam’s skin. Liam laughed out loud as Theo joined them, the baby deciding that the image of a purple flower on Liam’s shoulder, exposed by the stretched out neck of his t shirt looked delicious and had latched on. 

Theo was only a little jealous. 

Liam jerked his head in the direction of the diner on the corner and the two made their way, Remy with his baby talk giving a running commentary along the way. 

For a moment, Theo let himself enjoy the ease of it all, imagining that maybe they were together as a little family, working as a team to raise Remy. 

Theo opened the door of the diner, holding it open for Liam and Remy before going to find a high chair while Liam found them a table. The waitress that served them fawned over the baby, dropping a small bowl of custard and a plastic fork in front of him with a wink. 

Liam was animated as he described the renovation to the shop, waving his hands around and drawing Remy’s attention as he made a mess of the custard. Theo had to remind himself several times that the only interaction that they had had together before this moment was the one time that Liam had cut his hair. 

But god, how he wished for something more. 

“So, Stilinski’s kid has come home from college and walked into a detective job.” Theo explained, having his winge about work that morning. 

“I know Stiles, he’s friends with Scott- they helped get me my apprenticeship when I was a kid.” Liam said, looking at Theo from where he was helping scrape the last of the custard onto a spoon for Remy. 

“Well, did you know that he is banging Mayor Hale’s kid?” Theo asked, popping the last of the cookie he had ordered into his mouth and savouring it as the chocolate chips melted in his mouth.

“Laura or Cora?” 

“Derek.” Theo answered, shooting a smug look to a shocked looking Liam. “I walked in on them in the evidence room.” 

“You did not!” Liam exclaimed, his light eyes dancing with mirth. “Wait til I tell Scott!”

“Is Scott your, um, boyfriend?” Theo asked, terrified of the answer only to receive a loud laugh as response. 

“Scott is like, my dad friend.” Liam said when he had calmed himself enough to speak. “He like raised me to adulthood.”

“Oh.” Theo said, pulling a wipe from the baby bag to clean Remy’s face. 

“I am very, very single.” Liam said, his voice low. 

“Good to know.” Theo nodded before draining the very last of his coffee, sad that this meeting, date or not, was coming to an end. While Liam was distracted by lifting Remy from the highchair, Theo paid the cheque, swapping out the credit card Liam had left out with his own. 

“I am having an opening for the shop next week.” Liam said, stepping in close when he had transferred a now sleepy Remy back into his car seat. “You should come.” 

To anyone from the outside, they might look like a couple, Theo having called in to visit his partner at work with their baby. 

At least, that’s how Theo hoped that is how it looked, and not some desperate guy and his kid trying to latch on to the coolest person Theo had perhaps ever met. 

“Uh, I’ll have to see if my sister can look after Remy-”

“Or, you know if she can’t, just bring the little man along.” Liam said, reaching out to to run his knuckles up Theo’s forearm before whispering into Theo’s ear, making every hair on his body stand on end. “It won’t be the same if you’re not there.”

Liam’s lips brushed Theo’s earlobe, and then he was pulling back, winking and heading back across the street to his shop with a wave. 

Theo was most definitely in trouble. 

***

Theo was definitely not cool enough for the party that Liam was throwing. 

Tara had interrogated him about Liam before happily agreeing to look after Remy. He panicked for a moment when she pulled out her ipad, looking up the shop on Facebook. 

“Oh.” Tara said, raising her eyebrows when she found the _Brother Wolf_ facebook page, the header being a black and white picture of Liam, looking serious in his apron in front of the store. “Well, he is not what I was expecting.” 

“Tara-”

“No, no different can be good and I like how he’s got you all giddy.” Tara said, flicking through the images of the parlour in various stages of renovation. “I mean he definitely seems to be competent enough to organise a not terrible renovation.” 

From Tara, this was high praise. She had made no secret of her distaste for any of his previous partners including his ex wife, and had taken great care and pleasure in making sure that he came out on top in the divorce. To have her aiding in him going to this party was another sign that just maybe he and Liam were meant to be. 

Dressing for the party was a problem all on its own. Liam always looked so effortless, like he’d rolled out of bed and thrown on the first thing he found and just made it fashion. He wore his timberlands undone and his jeans hung from his hips and appeared to be ripped from being worn, rather than on purpose. On the other hand, Theo’s wardrobe screamed effort. 

There was just so much khaki and plaid. 

And what wasn’t khaki or plaid was a polo shirt. 

His wardrobe was full of things that could double as tidy dadwear and appropriate workwear. His office in the city was never formal, and Theo only glanced once at the classic blue suit, the only one he owned, before shoving it further back in his wardrobe. 

Sighing, he settled on a pair of of khaki joggers that were cuffed at the ankle, finding a plain white tee, he shrugged before pulling on and buttoning a soft grey cardigan. He had never changed himself for a partner before. 

And Liam seemed to like him so far. 

But what if his friends hated him?

The sized himself up in his mirror as he thought about how hard it had been when his sister had not got along with his wife, how it had poisoned their relationship until he realised, unfortunately too late, that his sister had been right all along and that Tara had just been looking out for her little brother and new nephew. 

He had never changed for a partner, but during the week he had lashed out and bought a new pair of sneakers for the occasion. A little sheepish, he pulled the Nike box from the back of his closet and pulled out the shoes. 

They weren’t anything fancy, just all white trainers that were new and bright and cost more than Theo felt the swoosh was worth. But they made him feel young and relevant as he clicked his heels together, and maybe that would be enough to impress Liam’s friends and not embarrass himself. 

Tara eyed him when he emerged from his room, finally as dressed as he could be and freshy spritzed with his favourite cologne. 

He glanced in the hallway mirror, running a hand over his beard. He had to admit, he really looked good. 

Remy smacked his lips from his high chair, to engrossed in his dinner to care much for his father’s fashion choices. 

“You look good little bro.” Tara said, pouring herself a glass of wine. “Now shoo before this guy finishes his food and realises that you’ve left him in order to chase barber shop D-”

“Tara!” 

“All I’m saying is that if you sleep in your bed tonight, I am disowning you.” She said, taking a sassy sip of her wine. “I’m a lawyer so I know how.”

Theo rolled his eyes and pulled out his phone, he’d ordered an uber from his room and it was now only a few minutes from arriving. It was now or never. 

“Thanks Sis, I’ll message you and let you know ok.” he called, shoving his phone back into his pocket and patting his other to check for his wallet, blushing lightly as he remembered the condom and lube that he had placed in there earlier. Shaking himself out of it, he picked up the gift he had bought for Liam before waving goodbye to his family, “Bye little man! Love you guys!”

By the time he got to the street, his uber was pulling in. Thankfully, the driver was polite but not chatty and was happy to leave Theo to spiral in the back seat after a few curt answers. 

Brother Wolf Barber and Shaving Parlour had been completely rejuvenated. 

The shop had always been a stand out in town and the same brand of cool as Liam and old Hank, but the new renovations and careful choices by the young business owner had taken it to another level. The final result teamed with the extravagance of the party which had spilled into the alleyway next door, complete with fairy lights and a old caravan converted to a portable bar, was a little overwhelming. 

Theo glanced around, taking in all of the people that had come to wish Liam well, before he looked down at the gift bag dangling from his fingers. 

His mother had raised him to always being the host a gift and on a whim, he’d bought Liam a plant. 

God.

He’d bought the man a plant. 

Theo looked around, panicking as he looked for a place he could stash the gift before making a swift get away. 

“Theo!” _Too late,_ Theo thought as he looked over at where Liam was bounding over. 

Liam was dressed so differently to the previous two times he had seen him. To begin with, his usual interlands were laced up and his black jeans had no rips, designed or otherwise. Instead of a loose singlet or soft looking t shirt, the barber had on a long sleeve black henley, the sleeves pushed up to show his strong forearms.His hair was freshly clippered and he’d waxed and twirled the ends of his moustache in what appeared to be a homage to the way Hank wore his facial hair. 

All in all, he was breathtaking. 

“I got you something.” Theo muttered, glancing around and holding out the gift bag. Liam beamed at him, taking the plant from the bag. It was a succulent in a round concrete pot, masculine and easy to look after, a good gift, or so Theo had thought when he had bought it. Now, he was second guessing his judgment. 

Liam continued to beam, holding the plant gently, like it was precious. 

“I’m going to put this on the front counter!” he exclaimed.

“You don’t have to do that-” Theo began, but Liam was turning on his heel and walking into the store before Theo could finish. 

“Theo Raeken is Liam’s Theo!” Before Theo could melt into the floor or plot his escape, Stiles Stilinski was smacking another man on the arm to get his attention. 

Stiles had been in Theo’s year at school, and while they hadn’t been friends, they had shared a number of AP classes. The other man turned and Theo recognised him as Scott McCall, now apparently also covered in tattoos. 

“Theo! You’re Liam’s Theo?!” Scott said, grabbing a couple of beers from a passing server and approaching Theo, handing one to him before offering his hand for a firm shake. “He hasn’t shut up about you since he cut your hair. It was like it was a religious experience or something.”

Stiles bound up, dragging with with him the surly son of the town’s mayor who looked about as out of place as Theo felt, dressed in neat suit pants and a clean cut shirt, the rolled sleeves and scotch in hand the only sign he was off the clock. 

“Der, this is Theo, _Liam’s_ Theo.” Stiles said, offering his own hand for Theo. “The one with the kid Li wants to raise.” 

A choking noise startled Theo more than Stiles’ description of him, as Liam rushed up, grabbing his arm and leading him away from the group. 

“I am so sorry about them.” Liam said, leading Theo inside, his hand slipping down to Theo’s as they moved through the shop. Theo waved as they passed Hank and a bunch of the regulars, all happily sharing several bottles of scotch while lounging around the barber’s chairs.

Liam continued to lead him through the back room and up a narrow flight of stairs that opened to a small living space with worn, inviting furniture and the same comfortable air that Liam had brought to the shop. 

“Hey sorry, I just wanted to bring you up here and apologise for my friends being out of line- Scott and Stiles started drinking early once we had set everything up and-”

“You talked to them about me?” Theo asked, cutting Liam off mid apology. 

“Pretty much nothing else.” Liam shrugged, looking down at his feet. “Sorry, I know we only met like once and I’ve been obsessing like a dork, but man, I just felt like there was a spark y’know?”

“My sister has been teasing me about the same thing, she’s looking after Remy all night tonight.” Theo said, taking a step closer, feeling the heat of a blush forming on his cheeks. “I have literally been freaking out about coming here tonight. I even bought new shoes.”

“They look good.” Liam said quietly. 

“It’s not too tryhard?” Theo asked, stepping closer still. 

“God, Theo- I literally changed my clothes like six times tonight.” Liam said, his hands coming up, feather light on Theo’s forearms. “I just wanted to look like someone you’d wanna spend time with.”

“I really like you.” Theo whispered, taking the last small step, leaving barely an inch between them. Below his feet, Theo could feel the thump of the music and the noise of merriment of the people here to wish Liam well. He wondered if all that noise would be able to drown out the rapid thump of his heart as Liam’s eyes flicked down to his lips. “And I really really wanna spend time with you.”

The smile had reached Liam’s eyes before Theo’s own fluttered closed as their lips came together. Theo brought his hands up, one holding Liam’s neck while the other ran over his closely cropped hair. 

It was if Theo’s brain was imploding in on itself as they deepened their kiss, their facial hair rubbing each others faces in a way that was bound to leave marks while their lips and tongues were soft and playful. 

Liam had his hands all over Theo’s chest, gripping at his waist and trailing up and down his back, griping at his cardigan and pulling at the wool. 

It had been a long time since Theo had felt the romantic touch of another, a longer time since he had felt desired and wanted. He had gone through the motions for long enough with his ex to recognise instantly the pure adoration and lust coming off of Liam in waves. 

His sister’s words from earlier ringing in his ears along with the jokes from Liam’s friends had Theo not hesitating before he steered Liam towards the couch, pushing him down and going for the fly on Liam’s jeans. 

“Fuck, Theo are you sure-” Liam stuttered, his hands shooting out to grip the couch cushions, lifting his hips to help Theo pull his pants down his thighs and free his cock. Theo’s hand went straight for his straining length and again, Theo didn’t hesitate, joining their hands as he dove down, needing to get Liam in his mouth _now._

Theo whined in the back of his throat, feeling Liam thicken up even more as he was enveloped in the warmth of Theo’s mouth. 

Theo brought a hand up, cradling Liam’s balls as he began to work his cock. He had felt desire in his life, for boys and girls and had had experience with both, but this was the first time that he felt as if he could get off on his partner’s pleasure alone. 

Liam moaned and thrashed, his hand thumping the back of the couch when Theo focused his attention on the exposed head, tonging the slit and hissing when Theo sucked at his foreskin.

Theo thought back to every porno he had seen, how the blowjob had been given and tried every trick he could think of. He worked the underside of Liam’s cock and twisted his head from side to side as he bobbed up and down. He twisted his hand over what didn’t fit easily into his mouth and swallowed down as far as he could, relaxing his throat like he hadn’t in years. 

When he pressed a finger against Liam’s perineum, the barber howled, his back bowing off of the couch as he came into Theo’s mouth. 

Theo swallowed it down, moaning again at the taste. He continued to lick around Liam’s cock as it softened, making sure he lapped up everything that had escaped his hungry mouth. 

“Oh my god.” Liam gasped, dropping his head back onto the back of the couch. “I am meant to make a speech and you just sucked my brain out through my dick”

“It was ok?” Theo asked, wiping his mouth. “It’s been a little while.” 

“Honestly, I am dead right now. Tell Scott and Stiles that I love them and give Remy the biggest kiss for me.” Liam said, grinning at Theo still kneeling on the floor. 

“I’m, uh, glad you liked it,” Theo said, sitting back onto his haunches. “But maybe don’t mention my kid when your dick is out.”

“Oh my god.” Liam said, his head rolling back onto the back of the couch. “I am so sorry- please blame my brain, which you sucked out may I remind you.” 

“You have to make a speech.” Theo said, patting Liam’s leg. “We need to go back down stairs.”

“My phone has literally been buzzing against my ankle for the past 15 minutes but I couldn’t bring myself to care.” Liam replied, leaning forward to press a kiss to Theo’s lips. “When I brought you up here I never thought this would happen- I thought I’d maybe convince you to go out on a date with me.” 

“Is that offer still on the table?” Theo asked, looking up at Liam from under his eyelashes. 

“You know what? Hang around til everyone leaves tonight and after I reciprocate we’ll talk about it.” Liam said, “You said your sister has Remy all night, now that I have you here I dont know if I can let you go. You’re just going to have to stay forever.” 

“Go make your speech and then when your guests all go, we’ll talk.” 

***

Little boutique barber shops had been a constant guilty pleasure in Theo’s life since the very first time he had first had a choice about who cut his hair and it was something that he hoped he would share with his son. 

It was the middle of summer and Theo had forgone a shirt when he had made his way to the parlour. On his lap, Remy squirmed, one again dressed the same as his father to cope with the heat and their mission for the day. His small hands smacked against Theo’s chest as he made a fuss of being expected to sit still. 

“You sure you want to do this today?” Liam asked, cleaning off his scissors. He padded barefoot around the salon, gathering up a soft toy and various supplies before standing behind Theo and Remy and smiling at them warmly in the mirror. 

“It’s time.” Theo said, running a hand over his son’s soft curls. Behind him, Liam’s hand was soft on his shoulder as he held out the soft toy for the baby. 

“Right, baby’s first haircut.” Liam nodded, clearly nervous. “And you’re sure you trust me with this?”

“I let you cut my hair. Not just the hair on my head mind you.” Theo winked, earning a blush forming on Liam’s cheeks as the barber lent over him to cover Remy’s eyes before he pressed a quick kiss to his lips. 

“Not in front of the baby!” he mock hissed, pressing another kiss to Theo’s cheek before going for his comb and spray bottle. 

Remy squirmed as his hair was wet down, wriggling in Theo’s arms. Liam did his utmost to keep up with him, moving around and muttering soothing words so that by the time his hair was wet and combed through, he was content to sit on his father’s lap and focus on the soft toy in his hand. 

Liam was quick and concise with his scissors, running his fingers through Remy’s hair to check for length before ruffling the fine blonde locks to check the texture. He pulled funny faces and continued to talk quietly the whole time, making the whole experience relatively painless and making Theo feel warm and gooey inside. 

“What?” Liam asked, when he had finished and Remy had escaped to the floor. 

Theo put down the big barber’s brush he had used to dust the hair off of his chest and arms. 

“What what?” he asked, sitting back into the hair and lifting his feet so that Liam could quickly sweep around him. 

“What had you staring at me the entire time with that goofy look.” Liam said, sweeping the hair to the vacuum vent and hitting the button to get rid of the hair. “I was nervous enough as it was.”

“Just, I really like you. You’re definitely a keeper.” Theo said, standing and scooping Remy up, the little boy showing all the signs that he was ready for a nap after the stress of his first hair cut. 

Liam trailed behind, a bemused look on his face as they went back up the stairs to Liam’s apartment. By the time they were at the top of the stairs, Remy was smacking his lips and yawning, trying to burrow into the warm skin of his father’s shoulder. Liam sat on the couch, while Theo wandered through the apartment to lay the little boy down in the bed in the spare room, surrounding him with a wall of pillows to stop him from rolling from the bed.

Theo dropped down onto the couch with a sigh, it had been a few blissful weeks since the opening of Liam’s shop. A few weeks of getting to know each other and finding that their lives fit together with relative ease. 

“I did something.” Liam said quietly, “And I don’t want you to be mad or freak out- just know that it can go back if you don’t like.” 

Theo looked at Liam, eyeing him critically as he hopped up from the couch and pulling out a large box from the storage closet.

“That is a cot.” Theo said taking in the picture on the side of the box. 

“I got the kind that turns into a toddler bed, Scott is going to come take the double to his place so there will be more room for Remy.” Liam said, then suddenly blanched with fear. “Unless I did the wrong thing and then Scott will help me take it back to the store and we will never speak of it again.”

Theo gaped for a moment before holding his hand out to draw Liam in, pulling him until he was stradling Theo’s lap. 

“That day that we went out for coffee while you were renovating the shop, I kept imagining that we were a family.” He said, running his hands up and down Liam’s thighs. “I had to keep pinching myself to remind myself that we weren't.”

“I’m not asking you to move in or anything crazy yet. But I want you and Remy to be comfortable in my home.” Liam smiled, nuzzling into Theo’s neck. 

Theo grinned, He’d always been drawn to little hipster barber shops, but he never really expected that he would find his happily ever after in one either.


End file.
